Where the Adel Wood Grows
by WiccanWriter86
Summary: While Greg and Wirt found a way to escape the unknown, what about the store of the children who were not so lucky?


A/N: So here's a little treat that's on a different path from my usual stories. A friend of mine asked if I could post one of her shorts on my account and happily I obliged. For any fans of Over the Garden Wall, here's something just for you!

Disclaimer: I own nothing

 **Where the Adel Wood Grows**

Just keep moving. Those words ran through her head over and over again. Just keep moving.

Tall trees blocked what little light was left from the setting sun, but despite that the young girl pushed on. She had to; she couldn't stop now, not while the man with the lantern was still after her. How she came to be in this situation in the first place was a blur to the young girl. It started with a wall…and she was falling maybe?

Before she could recall her memory her foot caught on a tree root, causing her to fall to the ground with a hard thud. After taking a moment to catch her breath she looked around at the dark forest around her. No sign of the man with the lantern, she had finally lost him, but with that fact came the fact she was now more lost than ever in this place. The "unknown" is what she heard someone call it back at the tavern, one of the only places around here with other people. That was a few days ago….or was it? Has she slept since then? Or at all since she has been here? How long has it been? Has she done nothing but walking this whole time?

Questions started spinning around in her mind. The girl started to build a fire to distract her for a while, and maybe make a place for her to rest. She also started to pick sticks and twigs out of her long hair, and brush the dirt off her dark skin.

After her camp was built, her mind brought her back to thoughts of the strange tavern in the woods. The only other signs of life since she had been here. The Tavern keeper asked about her life and then dubbed her "the orphan", the girl wasn't fond of it but since she couldn't remember her own name for whatever reason she went with it. The Tavern keeper had been the one who also warned her about the man with the lantern, "he who carries' the lantern must be The Beast".

The young girl let out a sigh; she thought about how she should have stayed at the Tavern, it was stupid of her for even leaving. The young girl pulled her knees up against her chest and rested her head on them; she could feel the cold air of the night on her back and the warmth of the fire in front, it made her eyes feel heavy. Mine as well rest for a while, she was so tired.

"You look tired my dear"  
The girl felt the hair on the back of her neck stand on end, the sound of the voice echoing right next to her. She raised her head just enough to see a black figure sitting next to her, dark as the night and something on its head that resembled branches. She looked right into its glowing eyes but oddly enough felt no fear, in fact it was almost…comforting? 

"You have been walking for so long, you must be so exhausted" The figure spoke very softly, like a father singing a lullaby, the girl softy nodded in response to it. "Maybe you should lie down and rest for a while"

Again the girl nodded, she watched the figure slowly raise its hand; its long fingers ran softly against her cheek to tuck some hair away. The girl felt her eyes get heavier; the hand guided her to lie down, her head resting on the figures lap.

"Everything is okay. You are safe with me" The figure continued to comfort the girl, running its fingers through her hair, lulling her into a deep sleep.

"It's time to sleep now my dear"

The girl felt herself float farther and farther from herself, not noticing the sensation of the figure running its fingers down her back slowly turn into thin branches around her, the lap her head rested on now just leafs around her. She didn't notice her body start to get colder, or her skin growing pale.

Neither did she notice the figure now standing over her mumble "yes dear, you will make a fine Adel wood tree" 

End


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